Passion and skill have won Joseph Tongai Dhafana the 2019 Eat Out Wine Service Award.

La Colombe‘s head sommelier Joseph Tongai Dhafana takes top honours as the 2019 winner of the Eat Out Wine Service Award.

Joseph Tongai Dhafana

The Zimbabwean-born sommelier, who also has his own gin and wine label, has been building his award-winning career in South Africa since 2009. From working as a gardener in Riebeek- Kasteel to becoming the seventh SASA certified sommelier in South Africa, Joseph has been lauded for his humility and for sharing his exceptional knowledge of wine with pure grace and professionalism. “Joseph is gentle, humble and very knowledgeable. His guest interactions are perfectly timed,” says one of Eat Out’s anonymous judges.

One of the most recognised and well-respected names in the wine and restaurant industry, he is also a board member of the Black Cellar Club (BLACC) and captain of Team Zimbabwe, which competed at the World Blind Wine Tasting Championships in Burgundy in 2017.

“There’s a visible love for the profession of wine service,” said another judge. “Joseph has an exceptional wine knowledge that really shows.”